Walking The Line
by ThisLoudFandom
Summary: After Kallie awoke from her coma, everything in her life seemed to be falling into place. She had the perfect boyfriend, was preparing to pursue her dream career, and she had never been happier. Her boyfriend, David, was inspired to pursue his dream career as well. As their journeys led them to opposite ends of the country, what would become of them?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Every once in a while, my mind drifts off to that day. It was the first time I saw David, and it was only for a moment before everything went black. I still remember the panic in his voice as he tried so frantically to get someone to help me. I remember thinking to myself, "Don't waste your time. No one even notices me anyway."

That all changed from the moment I first saw him. Here was David, on his way to work, when suddenly his life was turned completely upside down by some random passerby with unfortunate luck. If you ask my family what I'm like, they'll tell you this: "Kallie is the sweetest, most put together, most confident person you could ever meet."

What they don't know is, I'm mostly faking it. I always managed to act like I knew what I was doing, and what I wanted, but most of the time, I never actually did. There was only one thing I was sure of, and that was that I wanted to work in the fashion industry. After the accident, I was afraid that I'd never be able to pursue my dream, but luckily, I recovered quickly and could still do what I wanted to do. I thought this would be my only dream, but I was wrong.

After I woke from my coma, I realized something else I wanted. I wanted to be in love. I had dated before, but nothing ever seemed to feel right. I never really felt comfortable enough to share my deepest secrets with any of the guys I dated, and I didn't like that. I decided I wanted something real. And, I had a feeling that that might happen with David.

David seemed to be the only guy to genuinely care for me. Who else would spend their days sitting in a hospital room next to a stranger in a coma? I often wonder why he did that. He gave up his job, most of his free time, and who knows what else, just to sit next to me and talk to me, knowing I may never answer him. I can still remember waking up, and seeing David smiling down at me. That is something I will never forget.

It's been a little over six months since I got out of the hospital, and for the most part, nothing has changed. the only change I have had in my daily routine is, honestly, having a routine at all. I guess you could say I have David to thank for that. We've spent a lot of time together, and its been the best time of my life. I hope he feels the same way…

I have a box of letters that I keep in my room, all of them from David. He wrote to me everyday while I was in the hospital, and my mother kept them all. She never read them. She left that for me to do when I woke up. She told me that she was scared I would never wake up, and that David had given her the strength to believe that I would. I'm not really sure what this means. It could have just stemmed from him feeling bad that this happened, but then, why did he write me so much? I still haven't read the letters, but I will.

Why can't I stop thinking about him? Why is it that every time I picture his face or hear his name, my face gets all flushed and I can't think clearly? Could this be what love feels like? I shake my head, attempting to brush the thought away. He is clearly too good for me. And anyway, I am honestly happy being friends.

I shift my position on my bed to glance at the clock. Have I really been daydreaming for an hour? I slowly inch myself out of my warm, comfy cocoon and begin to face the day. It's been wonderful to be back home. I love being in this place that's so familiar, and I'll cherish every moment I have here until it's time to move on. I applied to an arts school in New York, and I plan to study fashion design, along with all the business related things involved with it. I still don't know if I've been accepted yet, but I'm hopeful.

Before I choose what I;m going to wear for the day, I walk over to the window to look outside. The sky ia a grayish-blue color, spotted with a few clouds, and the sun was peeking out from behind one a little. I settled on a black tank top, a lightweight red cardigan, and black pants. I was just about to come out as I heard my mother calling me from downstairs.

"Kallie? Are you awake yet?"

"Yeah" I called cheerfully as I came down the stairs. "I was just thinking about stuff, that's all."

"What kind of stuff?" she asked. I could tell my mother anything, knowing she would never judge me, no matter how silly it was. I sighed, tapping the floor with my toe before I spoke again.

"School, my future, stuff like that"

"And David?" she teased. I felt heat rising to my face, quickly covering it with my hands before she could see, but she knew.

"Mom…" I whined.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Okay, so maybe I was a little…"

"Have you read his letters yet?"

"No" I sighed. "I'm not sure what to think of that. What do you think he said in them?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you. By the way, he called for you this morning."

"Oh? What did he want? Did he say?"\

"He wants you to meet him at the park around noon" I glanced up at the clock on the wall and nearly panicked.

"I only have ten minutes to get there! I'm going to be late!" I cried, rushing out the door. Moments after I got outside, I realized I had forgotten my shoes. I ran back, grabbed my black moccasins from the closet, and was gone as quickly as I had appeared. I jogged to the park, keeping a good pace so I wouldn't be a gasping idiot when I got there.

I arrived on schedule, and saw David sitting on a bench by the stream. I walked over and greeted him.

"Hey there" I couldn't help but smile when I saw the boyish grin creep across his face.

"Hi!" he stood up to hug me, and I culd feel myself melting into him. He was so warm and cuddly…His scent was intoxicating. Wondered why he was still single, but at the same time, I was glad he was. Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly noticed a bundle of something on the bench next to where David was sitting. It looked like flowers, but I wasn't quite sure. David let go of the embrace to reach over and grab the mystery item. He then handed me the prettiest bouquet of roses I'd ever seen.

"These are stunning!" I gasped. They were white with pink around the edges of the petals.

"I'm glad you like them" David said softly. "They reminded me of you when your face gets that adorable pink color to it." I felt my cheeks begin to burn, and David chuckled. "Like that." We both laughed, and he sat back down on the bench, motioning for me to sit down next to him. I obliged, and we sat in silence for a moment, just watching the birds flutter over the water. Finally, David spoke.

"Kallie, can I ask you something?"

"Of course…" I responded, my voice trailing off. David turned towards me so he was looking right in my eyes.

"How do you see us?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, do you see us as being more than friends, or is this it for us?" It was his turn to blush, and all I could do was sit there and look at him. He looked down at the ground for a moment before looking at me again, and I took a breath.

"Well…" I began. "Honestly, I've been wondering the same thing. I've tried not to think about it because I didn't know how you would react…" Before I could continue speaking, David leaned over and planted a soft kiss on my lips.

"Does that answer your question?" he whispered. I was stunned. Did that really just happen?

"I…uh…" I couldn't even find the right words to say. I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, David shifted his body so he could look at me, concern filling his eyes.

"Are you alright? Should I not have done that?"

"No, I'm fine. That was incredible. Does this mean…?"

"I hope it means you're my girlfriend" David stated with a cheesy grin.

"It does" I smiled back at him, then rested my head on his shoulder. He reached over every so often to stroke my hair, and when he did, I would let out a content sigh. I didn't think I could be any happier than I was in this moment. David was my safe place. He was my sanctuary. Even the loudest surroundings couldn't phase me when I was with him,

We sat in silence for a while, until I suddenly had a thought.

"We should go somewhere else…it's starting to snow." We shared a laugh, as neither of us had even noticed the change in the weather. We stood up, and David looked at me, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"Don't you have a jacket?"

"No, I left it at home. I didn't know the weather was going to change like this" I giggled. Without warning, David took his jacket off and draped it over my shoulders. I slid my arms into the sleeves and snuggled into the thick, warm material. It smelled like him. I smiled softly as he reached out to take my hand, and we began our wintery walk.

"Where to, my lady?"

"Hmm…lets see. We could go get some hot chocolate." David nodded in approval, pulling me closer to him and draping has arm around me. For the first time in my life, I finally knew where I belonged. Right here, with David.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

"Aww, come on, Kallie! Please tell me!"

"Never!" I giggled.

"Don't make me break out 'the face'" David threatened playfully. He then proceeded to poke me in the side repeatedly, until I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.

"No, not the face! Stop!" I cried, attempting to gasp for breath. I was finally able to compose myself long enough to get a full sentence out. "I can't tell you what I got you. It would ruin the surprise!" David sighed, knowing he had been defeated.

"Alright, fine. But when will I get it?"

"Let's go to dinner on Wednesday. I'll give it to you then."

"Deal." David nodded, sticking out his hand. I grabbed it, and we shook on the deal. David held onto my hand for a moment longer, lacing his fingers through mine. I smiled, feeling completely at peace. My mind began to wander a little, and I started to think about the future.

I pictured myself as a widely successful designer, among the ranks of the greats; Versace, Alexander McQueen, Prada…all of them. I had envisioned this for a long time, and now, something new made it's way into my vision. It was David. He had achieved his dream of becoming a multi-platinum recording artist, and we were married. We had a small house in the country, away from civilization. This vision of mine seemed like it could have been plucked straight from one of those cheesy romantic comedies.

Before my mind could wander any further, our waitress came over to our table to check on us.

"Is there anything I can get you two?" she asked sweetly. David thought for a moment before responding.

"How about a pot of coffee, and a bowl of your chicken noodle soup?"

"Did you want bread with that?" our waitress, Ashley, asked. David nodded.

"I'll have that right out for you, sir. Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked, turning to me.

"Can I just get another hot chocolate, and…" I paused for a moment so I could think. David then spoke up for me.

"She also wants some of that strawberry shortcake." he grinned. I was amazed at how well he knew me. I didn't even know they had that here. I chuckled slightly, and nodded my head.

"Yeah, that should be fine" I giggled. The waitress scribbled that on her pad and walked away.

"Did I ever tell you strawberries were my favorite fruit?" I asked, bewildered.

"No, I could just sense that about you" David said, grinning. Deep inside, I knew this was exactly the kind of thing every girl dreamed about. The concept of having someone in your life who knew you better than you knew yourself was fascinating. After searching for this for so long, I was happy to finally have that. I felt complete with him, and I knew nothing would ever change that.

Ashley returned rather quickly with our food. I picked at my cake with my fork for a minute before cutting off a piece.

"Are you okay?" David asked, concerned. "You seem a little out of it."

"I'm alright" I replied, smiling softly at him. "I'm just thinking…"

"About what?"

"It might be too soon to say"

"Well, whenever you're ready to tell me, you know I'll be here to listen." I nodded, knowing that was exactly right. David was the one person I could always count on to be there for me, besides my family. I never had too many friends growing up, because I always let my shyness get the best of me. I never felt like I could be myself around any of my classmates, and I would continuously push anyone away who tried to get close to me. It seemed to me, that anytime I tried, I just got hurt.

"Oh, I just remembered something!" I said excitedly.

"What's that?"

"My letter from the Fashion Institute is supposed to come today…" I replied, seeming less enthusiastic than I had just been.

"That was a rapid change of emotion" David said. "You seemed really excited about it seconds ago."

"I know," I sighed. "I am, I just now realized that if I got in, that means I'll have to leave. I don't know if I can leave you…" My eyes began to well up with tears, and David quickly reached over to wipe them away."

"Kallie…don't get upset. This is your dream, and if you're meant to follow it, I'll support you, no matter how far apart we are." I sniffled, and tried to manage a small smile.

"Do you promise?"

"Of course I do" David assured me, as he got up from his side of the table to scoot into the booth next to me. He wrapped his arms around me, and I breathed in the scent of his cologne for what seemed like the millionth time today.

"That makes me feel a little better. Do you want to be there when I open the letter?"

"Did you even have to ask?" David teased, kissing the top of my head.

"I know, I know. It was a silly question. I just had to be sure" I grinned, winking at him. We finished our food, David paid, and we stepped outside the café to find that the snow had stopped.

"Well, what now?" I asked. I was hoping David could think of something else to do before we headed back to my house to find out if I had made it into the school or not.

"I have an idea. First, let's go back to your house and get these roses in some water." I looked down at the flowers, and noticed they were starting to droop slightly.

"Okay" I agreed. "You could say hi to my mom and Sarah too. She's been asking about you." When I'd heard about how close David and Sarah had gotten, that made me realize what a sweet guy David was. For Sarah to trust anyone other than her family, they'd have to be someone very special. As we turned the corner onto my street, David stared in amazement at the houses on the block.

"I forgot how massive these houses are" he said, shocked. I giggled, looking up at him. His six-foot-one frame towered over my 5'3'' body, but I didn't care. We were perfect together, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. As we neared my house, I began to pray that my letter hadn't arrived yet. If it did, I'd insist on opening it later. We walked up to the door and I pushed it open, only to be greeted by my adorable little sister a moment later.

"Hi Kallie! Hi David!" Sarah squealed, hugging us both.

"Hey, kid" David grinned. "Long time no see" Sarah bounced happily into the family room, and we followed her. We sat down on the plush blue couch, sinking into the soft material.

"Where is mom?" I asked.

"She's upstairs. I'll get her!" I watched as Sarah hurried up the stairs, calling for our mother, Lisa. Moments later, she was coming back downstairs with mom following closely behind. Her face lit up when she saw the two of us waiting in the family room.

"Hey, you guys!" she greeted. "What are you two up to?"

"Well, we took a walk around the park, but it started to snow so we went for some hot chocolate" I explained. I was about to continue, when my mom suddenly gasped.

"These roses are gorgeous!"

` "Aren't they?" I replied, blushing slightly. "They're from David."

"Good man," my mother stated, nodding with approval. "Any guy worth keeping around knows that flowers are the way to a woman's heart." she joked. I blushed again, and upon seeing this, my mother let out a loud chuckle. "I'm kidding, sweetheart. So, what's the occasion?"

"Well…" I began, sucking in a breath. I knew my family would approve of our relationship, I was just bracing myself for what was to come. "We're officially a couple now." Mom and Sarah let out squeals of joy and hugged us both.

"We knew you would end up together!" Sarah stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, did you now?" I teased.

"Yeah, we did. Mom said it was fate that brought David into your life, and ours too. Besides, we knew you had to crack and let someone in one day." Well, they certainly knew that better than I did. I didn't foresee any of this.

"Oh, Kallie, before I forget, a letter came for you. It's from the Fashion Institute." My heart skipped a beat, and I glanced down at the floor.

"Uh…I'll open it later. David and I were going to find something else to do, we just had to come by and get the roses in water and say hi."

"Are you sure you don't want to open it now? You've been waiting for this moment your whole life…"

"I have been. I just…" My thoughts trailed off as I attempted to come up with an acceptable reason to put this off. I was so anxious to know if I had made it, but I knew if I did, that would change so much. I'd be away from David, which is the last thing I want, and who knows how often we would get to see each other. We had a wonderful thing going, and I just wasn't ready to let it go yet. But, on the other hand, I knew if it put this off, it would eat away at me until I knew for sure. I let out a sigh and mustered a half smile.

"You know what? I think I should open it now. It'll kill me if I don't."

"That's my girl" my mom said, walking into the kitchen to grab the letter off the counter. She came back into the family room holding a slender white envelope out to me. I reached out and took it, running my fingers over the smooth paper before I slid my finger underneath the back side. I took a breath, and felt David's hand on my shoulder. I looked over at him, and he smiled.

"Go on" he urged. I nodded, ripping the seal on the envelope and pulling out the neatly folded letter. I unfolded the paper, and my eyes began to scan the words typed on it. A moment later, I placed the letter in my lap, looked up at David, then to my family, and uttered the three words I had wanted to say more than anything.

"I got in."


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I had to scan the letter one more time to make sure I had read it right. Sure enough, this is what was staring back at me:

"Dear Miss Jameson,

We have received your application for admission into the Fashion Institute of New York, and after reviewing your transcripts, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted. It is our understanding that you wish to enroll for the spring semester of 2007. Please make sure to register for your classes by the Deadline, January 10th. We look forward to meeting you, and helping you get one step closer to your dream.

Sincerely,

Miranda Johnson

Dean Of Students

The Fashion Institute of New York"

I sat in silence for a moment, just staring at the paper in my hands. I did not know whether to feel ecstatic, or heartbroken. My acceptance into this school meant two things: I was one step closer to what I have always wanted to do, and; in order to chase my dreams, I had to leave everything I love behind. The house I have always known, my family, the town I knew like the back of my hand, and…David. Tears stung the backs of my eyes when I realized I could not take him with me. Or could I? I knew his dream was to play music for a living, and he could do that in New York, right? I sighed internally, knowing that his best chance would be waiting for him somewhere else. I could feel a tear begin to fall, but before I could stop it, it spotted the paper. I thought no one would notice, but David did. Upon seeing this, he stood up and walked over to me, wrapping his arms around me.

"What's the matter, Kallie? This is what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." I replied, my voice cracking with emotion. "But, now that it's here, I don't know if I can do it."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that if I go to New York, I have to leave you. I don't know if I can handle that" I sniffled. David pulled me closer, and I felt like if he held me any tighter, we would merge into one person. My mother, without saying a word, motioned to Sarah, indicating that they should leave us alone.

"Kallie, this is your dream" David said soothingly, stroking my hair. "Don't throw it away because of me. I don't want to be the thing that holds you back."

"You're not holding me back" I assured him. "I am."

"Do me a favor. Go get your portfolio." I nodded and went upstairs to my room, grabbing my sketchbook off the desk. I brought it downstairs and walked over to David, holding the book out to him. He took it and sat on the couch, motioning for me to sit next to him. He began to flip through the pages, making sure to show me each one.

"These are gorgeous. They deserve to be created, and worn. People would love them, Kallie. All you have to do is let go of your fear, and go for it." I knew David was right, and if I argued, he'd pack for me and drag me onto the plane.

"Okay, you're right. I'll go, on one condition."

"You name it, you got it."

"When I'm not home for holiday breaks, you have to come visit me once in a while. We have to talk on the phone, text, or skype every day, and you're not allowed to forget me." I teased.

"Deal. You want to know something?"

"What?"

"I knew you would get in, so I've been saving airline miles to come out there and see you. I mean, Skype is nice, but hugging and kissing my computer screen would be ridiculous. And it would taste like windex, not like peppermint."

"I taste like peppermint?"

"Yeah, you do" David chuckled. "I love it." I blushed slightly, and giggled nervously. It seemed I'd been doing a lot more of that since David came around.

"I bet if you kissed me right now, I wouldn't taste like that" I challenged. "I'd probably taste more like chocolate, maybe strawberries."

"Is that a challenge?" David asked, almost seductively.

"M-Maybe" I stuttered. The next thing I knew, David's face was inches from mine, and I could feel his warm breath on my skin. I felt chills run throughout my entire body, and the feeling intensified once his lips touched mine. I gasped, making David pull away quickly.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"No, not at all" I grinned. "That was awesome."

"Well, now do you believe that I'll always be here for you?"

"More than anything else in the world" I replied softly.

"Good. Just remember, Kallie, that no matter where our lives take us, I will always find the way back to you, and I know you will find your way back to me too." I felt comfort from his words, and was able to stop stressing about this for a moment. I knew, though, that as the time for me to leave drew nearer, my anxieties would return.

"I have an idea" David said suddenly, making me jump a little.

"What?" I asked.

"We should do something fun to get your mind off of this. Want to go bowling?" I groaned a little, making David chuckle. "What's the matter? Do you not like bowling?"

"I'm terrible at it" I whined. "Do you really think kicking my butt at this game is going to make me feel better? It just might make me feel worse" I joked, punching David's arm playfully.

"I can help you. Please, can we go? I really doubt you're as awful as you think you are. You're so good at everything you do, there's no way you could be that horrible."

"Everyone has their faults, and things they suck at. Bowling happens to be mine." I said, laughing.  
"Alright, we don't have to go. But we should do something fun" David sighed.

"You know what? We can go bowling. You have to promise me you'll help me though, okay?"

"Deal" David said, an ecstatic grin appearing on his face. I ran upstairs to let my mom know we were going out, and went to my room to grab a jacket before coming back down the stairs. David smiled when he saw me round the corner, and we were off once again. As we walked out the door, I tied a blue knitted scarf around my neck. David took notice right away.

"That's a nice scarf"

"Thanks, my grandma made it for me. Every time I wear it, it makes me think of her" I explained, my voice trailing off as I finished the thought.

"Oh, I see. When did she…"

"When I was four. I didn't get to see her that much, except around Christmas. I wish I could remember more about her, but I'm glad I have this. It makes me feel like she's always with me, you know?" David nodded, and we began our walk to the local bowling alley. We walked inside to find the place almost empty, except for a few bowlers, and the man behind the counter. David and I walked up and greeted him, getting a less than enthusiastic response in return.

"We'd like to pay for two games, please" The man grunted and put that into the computer, asked for our shoe sizes, told us which lane to go to, and went back to wiping down the counter. As we walked away, David leaned over to whisper something to me.

"That guy looks like he enjoys his job" he said sarcastically. I giggled, and walked over to the rack of balls to pick out a bowling ball. I finally found one that was light enough for me, and carried it over to the lane, setting it in its proper place. David entered in our names, and the game began. He let me go first, so I walked up, grabbed my ball, and David came up behind me to help me.

"Alright, so do you see the dots on the lane, and how they form an arrow?

"Yes" I replied, nodding.

"Well, you want to aim the ball straight down the middle, or at least try to. Bring your arm straight back," he gently guided me as he was explaining, " and, bring it straight forward and let go of the ball." I did as he instructed, managing to knock down six pins, leaving two on each side of the lane. I knew I probably would not be able to hit them all, but I was determined to at least get two of them.

"I think I want to try this one myself" I said.

"Alright. Good luck" David replied, kissing the top of my head. He stepped back and watched as I successfully managed to knock down not two, but three of the remaining pins. David walked over to me, scooping me into a bear hug.

"That was amazing!" he said ecstatically. "Are you sure you're not very good at this?" he teased.

"Positive" I assured him. The first game continued, going much better than I had anticipated. David still managed to beat me, but I wasn't too far behind him. Before we started the second game, we decided to order a pizza from the kitchen. A short while later, our food was brought out to us. After we finished eating, David looked over at me, his eyes filled with competition.

"You ready for round two?"

"You bet. You're going down."

"Is that a fact?" David asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I believe it is. The last game was really close. I think I can get you this time" I joked.

"We'll see" David said with a coy smirk. Game two commenced, and as promised, I beat him. It was another close game, almost too close, but I was proud, nonetheless. After the game ended, we put our bowling balls away and returned our shoes to the counter. As we walked outside, David grabbed my hand suddenly. We walked hand in hand the whole way back to my house, stopping at the front door.

"Do you want to come in?" I asked.

"I should actually get home. I have something special planned for you tomorrow, and I need to rest up, and so do you. I'll be here to pick you up around eight tomorrow morning.

"Why so early? What are we doing?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you" David joked. I sighed, leaning over to hug him one last time before we said goodnight.

"Well, we don't want that" I murmured into his t-shirt. He wrapped his arms around me, and I looked up at him to gaze into his gorgeous blue-gray eyes. He leaned down to kiss me, and I never wanted it to end.

"Goodnight" he whispered.

"Goodnight" I replied. I gave him one last hug before turning to walk into the house.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of my alarm buzzing. I sat up groggily in my bed, glancing over at the clock. The red digital numbers on the screen read 7:30, and I wondered for a moment why I was waking up so early. I then remembered David saying he would be here to pick me up at eight, so without a second thought, I threw the blankets off myself and nearly skipped over to my closet. I pulled out a pair of dark blue skinny jeans that were starting to fray at the bottom, then walked over to my dresser and opened a drawer, pulling out a white t-shirt with Mickey Mouse's face on it, and a pair of ankle socks. I dressed quickly, pulling a soft black hoodie out of my closet and throwing it over my head, pulling the zipper down so it stayed open.

I walked into the bathroom down the hall and pulled my curling iron out of the closet, plugging it in so it could start to heat up. While I was waiting on that, I began to apply some makeup. I started with a little primer, then some powder, a little bit of smoky blue eyeshadow, and a swipe of lip gloss. I knew David preferred women with minimal makeup, and he told me often enough that I was beautiful without it. He had even joked about sneaking into my house in the middle of the night and throwing it all away. I knew he never would though. I glanced down at the curling iron to see if it was ready, and it was. I carefully began to wind sections of my hair around the barrel, producing soft pretty curls. Once my hair was all curled, I misted it with a little bit of hairspray to keep it from getting frizzy, and reached down towards the counter to grab my phone. Right as I picked it up, it buzzed, indicating a new message.

"Hey beautiful, I hope you're up. Just letting you know not to eat before I pick you up. See you soon J" I smiled, and texted him back, letting him know I was almost ready. I still had ten minutes before he got there.

After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a soft knock at the door. I crept downstairs to answer it, being careful not to wake my mom and Sarah. When I opened the door, I saw David standing there with a smile on his face, and a grocery bag in his hand.

"Good morning" he greeted. He stepped up to the threshold and set the bag down for a moment so he could hug me. I didn't even notice the autumn chill in the weather beause he radiated so much heat. When he let go, I glanced down and pointed to the bag on the ground.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You'll see in a minute" David answered, motioning for me to go inside. He followed, walking into the kitchen. I followed, watching as David set the bag on the counter and began to take things out of it. He had brought over bread, eggs, milk, cinnamon, butter, and syrup. I had figured it out; we were going to cook here. I immediately walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a frying pan, and over to another one to get the cooking spray.

"You do like French Toast, right?" David asked.

"Yeah, I do. It's one of my favorites" I replied with a grin.

"I'm glad" he said. "This is one of the only things I know how to make." We both laughed, and he began to mix the eggs and milk together in a bowl.

"Do you want any help?" I wondered.

"Not at all" David said, smiling. "I'm doing this for you." I blushed, leaning against the counter. David had gotten all the ingredients mixed together, and was about to begin dipping the bread, when he stopped suddenly.

"Shoot. I forgot something" he sighed.

"What did you forget? We might have it."

"Vanilla extract." I walked over to the baking cabinet and began to search, successfully pulling out a small bottle of imitation vanilla extract.

"Here you are" I said, holding the bottle out to him. He took it, smiling at me.

"You're a life saver" he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"I almost couldn't find it. You would have had to use almond, if I didn't."

"I have an idea. Get the almond extract out." I did as I was asked, and looked at David, puzzled.

"Are you going to use both?"

"Yes I am!" David replied, pouring a small splash from each bottle into the bowl. He then proceeded to dip the bread into the egg mixture, placing it carefully into the hot frying pan. After a few moments, he flipped them, revealing perfect golden brown markings on the other side. It smelled amazing, and the combination of the vanilla, almond and cinnamon reminded me of almonds I used to get at the Renaissance Festival when I was younger.

"That smells amazing, David!"

"Thanks" he chuckled. When it was all finished, I took out two plates, forks, and napkins. I was about to grab everything else and bring it to the table, when David stopped me.

"Hold it" he said. "You just go sit down. I've got everything else covered, okay?" I nodded in response and walked to the table. I sat down and waited for David, who was taking longer than I had thought.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" I called from the dining room.

"Just tell me where you keep the glasses" David said, laughing.

"Third cabinet from the left" I giggled. A moment later, I could hear David rummaging in the fridge. He appeared minutes later with a glass of orange juice in each hand. He set one down in front of me, and one in the place next to me. He disappeared once again, this time coming back with the French toast. The only thing he wasn't able to bring was the butter. Before he could say a word, I stood up and darted into the kitchen, bringing the butter dish back with me.

"Thank you" David said with a smile.

"You're welcome, though I really didn't do much" I giggled.

After we ate, we left the house to begin the rest of the day. David was being stubborn and refusing to tell me anything he had planned, so I decided to just go with it. The first place David took me was to the local Art Gallery. Before we went in, I stopped David.

"Is anything wrong?" he asked.

"No" I said. "I just want to make sure this day isn't going to cost too much. I'd feel guilty if it did" I sighed.

"Don't worry" David said softly. "You're worth it."

"Are you sure?" I asked, sighing.

"Very. Quit worrying so much" David chuckled. I sighed again, knowing I had been defeated. We walked inside the Art Gallery, and I nearly had to catch my breath because of how beautiful it was. The walls were painted a gorgeous cream color, and there were paintings on the walls, and sculptures on the tables. There were tall marble pillars and beautiful archways with leafy garlands hanging above them.

"How do you like it?" David asked.

"It's beautiful" I replied, barely able to speak above a whisper. David took my hand softly, and we began to walk through the gallery. It was small, but beautiful. Everything had been created with such intricacy, and being there made me realize that this was how I wanted to create my clothes. It must have taken these artists a lot of time and patience to make these so beautiful, and that is how I wanted to be with what I made. After we had seen everything, we left.

"So, what did you think?" David asked, cocking his head to the side.

"That was incredible. I had no idea this place was even here!"

"I hoped you would like it" David said softly. "Do you know why I brought you here?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, after I took you home last night, I was walking home and I found the gallery. I was curious about it, so I went in. when I saw how beautiful everything was, I knew I had to bring you here. I wanted you to be inspired to create your clothes the same way the paintings and sculptures were made." I was in awe. It was like David knew how I would feel walking through there. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Thank you" I whispered. "I needed that"

"I know" David said with a grin, winking playfully. We walked a little further down the street to a small coffee shop. We walked inside and found a table in the corner. David told me to wait there, and he disappeared for a moment. I glanced over and saw him at the counter, ordering drinks. He returned a few minutes later.

"I hope I got your drink order right" he said. I reached out and took the cup from him, sipping it slightly so it wouldn't burn me. David had gotten me a Pumpkin Spice Chai latte, which was indeed my favorite drink. I wished I could get it more than just in the colder seasons, but having it for a limited time made it feel like a luxury.

"How is it that you know all these things about me without me ever telling you?" I giggled.

"Like I said the other day, I just know. It's strange to me, because you don't open up too much." he teased. He sipped at his drink too, and we talked about anything and everything we could possibly think of. After we finished our drinks and split a slice of cheesecake, we left.

"Before we go on, can we stop by my house for a minute? I have something for yo, and I forgot to grab it before we left." I asked.

"Sure" David said.

Once we got back to my house, I told David to wait outside for a minute, promising that I would hurry because it was a little cold. I ran inside and upstairs to grab a card off my desk. I had made it the other day, and wanted to give it to David to thank him for everything. I stuffed it carefully inside an envelope, and headed back out to David. He smiled when he saw me, as he always did, and I walked over to him. I grabbed his hand and slipped the envelope inside it, gently closing his fingers around it.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Just a little something for you" I explained, smiling. He opened the envelope and took out the card, opening it carefully to read what was inside. When he finished, he looked down at me, his eyes smiling as much as he was.

"That was beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome" I said, smiling. "I meant it."

"I'll keep this forever." Hearing those words made me blush slightly, but I had gotten used to that.

"There is something else, too. I'm going to wait to give it to you though."

"You didn't have to…"

"I know, but wanted to." I argued. "Tonight's the night we're having dinner, remember? I'll give it to you then" I said with a smile. I could tell he was excited, and so was I.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

By the time we had gotten done with the Art Gallery and coffee shop, it was mid-afternoon. As we walked back to my house, I could tell David was exhausted.

"You look tired" I said, concerned for his well-being.

"I am a little bit" he replied. "I couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited about today. Is it okay…" he stopped talking for a moment, then finished the thought. "…if I go home and take a nap before dinner? I don't want to fall asleep on my plate" he explained with a small chuckle.

"Of course it is" I said, nodding. "You need to get your rest." David and I decided to walk back to my house so he could drop me off, and he promised to be back in a couple of hours. I hugged him goodbye and went inside, eagerly anticipating the next moment I would get to see him.

To make the next few hours fly by, I decided to finish making David's gift. I went up to my room, sat on my bed, and picked my knitting loom up off the floor. I had been inspired to start because of my grandma, but I could never get used to using knitting needles. I couldn't understand how people managed to use them! Once I discovered it was possible to knit this way, I was relieved. And the best part was, nobody knew the difference. I was knitting a blue-gray scarf for David, because I remembered how much he admired mine, and the color would bring out his eyes. As I wound the yarn around the loom, my mind began to wander. I pictured the look on David's face when I gave him the scarf, and the way his eyes would sparkle as he smiled at me. I loved being able to make someone this happy, and I loved even more that I was able to let someone else do the same for me.

After roughly an hour had passed, I had finished the scarf. I attached some fringe to the ends, and folded the scarf neatly, wrapping it in white tissue paper and placing it neatly in the blue gift bag I had picked out. David had told me his favorite color was blue, so I wanted him to know I remembered that. It was easy to remember since it was my favorite color too. After I was finished with that, I glanced at the clock, growing more anxious to see David again. I still had a half hour to go before I would, or so I thought.

About five minutes later, my phone began to ring. I picked it up and glanced at the screen, smiling widely when I saw David's name staring up at me. I pushed the green "talk" button and greeted him cheerfully.

"Hey you. Did you sleep well?"

"I sure did" David replied. I could almost hear the smile appearing on his lips.

"Great! I can't wait to see you."

"Neither can I." I smiled when he said this. Seconds later, I heard the doorbell ring. I waited a moment to see if my mom or Sarah would get it, and I heard it again. I rushed down the stairs to the door, and when I pulled it open, my jaw dropped. David was standing there smiling at me. He pulled his phone from his ear and ended the call, and I did the same.

"How long were you standing there?" I asked, grinning.

"Only a few minutes. I was driving over when you called me" he explained, the smile never leaving his face.

"That was very sneaky" I said with a giggle. "Best surprise ever. Speaking of which, I'll be right back" I said as I turned to walk inside. David followed, closing the door behind him. I hurried up the stairs, and turned to call down to him.

"Wait there, I'll be right back!"

"Alright" David said with a small chuckle. I rounded the corner to my room, grabbed the bag off the bed and ran back down the stairs, nearly tripping, but I caught myself.

"Are you okay?" David asked, trying to hold back laughter.

"I'm fine, I just slipped" I replied, sticking my tongue out playfully at him.

"Try to be more careful, okay? When I take my girlfriend out on dates, I don't want to be carrying pieces of her in a bag" David teased.

"I'll try" I giggled. "So, did you want your present now, or after dinner?"

"Well, when do you want to give it to me?" David asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That depends" I stated. "How cold is it outside?"

"What does that have to do with when I get the gift?" David asked, confused.

"You'll see" I said, smiling coyly. "Just answer the question."

"It's a little cold, and looks like it might rain."

"Okay." I replied. "In that case, open it now" I said, handing David the blue bag. He pulled out the tissue paper covered bundle and squeezed it, commenting that it was soft.

"I hope you like it" I said quietly. I watched as David carefully unwrapped the scarf. His eyes lit up at the sight of it, just like I imagined they would.

"Did you make this?" he asked, looking up at me for a moment before returning his gaze to the scarf in his hands.

"Yeah, I did. I learned how to loom knit about a year ago, because I could never get the hang of using knitting needles" I explained. David listened as I spoke, nodding intently.

"I love it" David said, his eyes sparkling with joy as he wrapped the scarf around his neck. The color of the yarn brought out the intensely beautiful color in his eyes, just as I had suspected it would. It also brought out the slightly red tint in his hair, which was adorable. I had actually never noticed it until now.

"I'm glad" I said, leaning into him as he outstretched his arms to embrace me.

"You really are wonderful, Kallie." David said, looking into my eyes tenderly as he leaned down to kiss me. Every time he did that, I could feel another part of myself becoming one with him.

"It's nothing" I replied, feeling a little bit embarrassed. "I just care about you a lot, so I want to do things that make you happy" I explained, smiling.

"I want to do the same for you" David said softly, pulling my small frame closer to him as he spoke. "Your happiness is the most important thing in the world to me." Part of me wanted to break down when he said that, simply because of the emotion I felt upon hearing those words. I didn't think anyone would ever say anything like that to me, but David proved me wrong.

As we stood in the long, concrete driveway, the wind picked up slightly, causing me to shiver. David noticed, and began to rub my back gently.

"We should get going" he chuckled. "I don't want you to freeze." He then proceeded to escort me to his car, and even opened the door for me. After making sure I was safely inside the car, he shut the door and walked around to the drivers side. Once he was in, I glanced over at him, a shy smile on my face.

"I could have opened the door" I said quietly.

"I know," David answered. "But I refuse to let you. You're a lady, and you should be treated like one. As long as you're with me you will never open your own doors again." he stated, winking at me. I sighed, sinking back in my seat.

"Alright, you win" I said with a smile. David smiled back, and stuck the key into the ignition to start the car. He backed out of the driveway, and we were on our way.

"Where would you like to go?" David asked me, glancing towards me for a brief moment before looking back at the road.

"I can't think of anywhere specific" I answered, sighing a little. "Where do you want to go?"

"I've heard that new Italian place is pretty good" David suggested.

"That sounds good to me" I said, grinning. "I could always go for pasta" My grin turned into a giggle as David glanced over at me.

"That's interesting" David said, his eyes scanning me.

"Why?" I asked somewhat nervously.

"Do you really eat pasta that much?"

"Most days" I said with a nod.

"But you're so skinny…" David said. I could tell he was trying to choose his words carefully.

"I do work out, you know" I teased.

"I know" David answered, blushing. "I wasn't trying to Imply that you should be fat" he explained. I could tell he was embarrassed, so I leaned over and lightly kissed his cheek to let him know I wasn't upset.

After a few more minutes, we arrived at the restaurant, Luigios. From the outside, it looked rustic, but trendy, like it had been plucked right out of Sicily and given a Tulsan makeover. The scents of tomatoes, basil and parmesan floated through the air, nearly making me salivate. We walked inside and were able to be seated immediately. The hostess, Andie, handed us our menus and informed us that our waitress, Kayla, would be over shortly. David and I began to browse the menu, and after only a moment, I knew exactly what I wanted. I decided on the chicken scampi, and David decided to go with the classic lasagna. Kayla came over a moment later to take our drink orders, and we both ordered a raspberry lemonade.

"Do you know what you would like to eat as well, or do you need a few minutes?" she asked sweetly.

"We already know" David said confidently, then motioned to me.

"I would like the chicken scampi with a side salad, please" I said with a shy smile.

"Alright" Kayla responded, then turned to David. "And for you, sir?"

"I will have the lasagna, also with a side salad" Kayla scribbled both orders onto her notepad and walked away. Our food arrived rather quickly, making us both impressed with the speed of the employees here. Almost every table was full, and the restaurant buzzed with the quiet murmur of people talking. The food was amazing, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish it all, but somehow, I did. David did as well.

"Are you full yet?" he asked with a grin.

"Almost" I sighed. "Why?"

"Want to split a piece of cake?"

"Sure" I said, smiling. "Which kind should we get?"

"Do you like lemon?" I asked.

"Sweetie, I'll eat anything. Pick what you want."

"Lemon it is, then" I giggled. When Kayla returned to collect our dishes, David ordered the cake.

"I'll have that right out for you" she said with a nod. As she walked away, I sat back in my chair and let out a content sigh. This would be the perfect end to one of the best nights I've ever had.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

By the time we had finished with dinner, it was only seven o'clock. The sun had barely begun to set. The clouds were a dusty gray color, and the sky was so light blue, it almost looked white. Streaks of pink, orange, yellow and purple painted the sky, making the clouds look as if they had caught fire.

"What a beautiful sunset" I murmured as we walked outside. David nodded in response as he took my hand to walk me to the car.

"It's amazing" he agreed. When we reached the car, David opened my door and waited as I carefully climbed inside. I felt a small cramp in my side suddenly, which caused me to groan slightly.

"Ouch" I mumbled.

"Are you okay?" David asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I think I just ate too much" I said with a laugh.-

"I know what you mean" David sympathized, placing a hand on his belly as he settled into the drivers seat. "Just wait until my mom hears that I finally reached my limit" David said, causing us both to laugh.

"I, for one, am shocked!" I teased. "So, anyway, what do you think we should do now?"

"What would you like to do?" David asked me.

"Well, I've never been to your apartment. Do you think we could go there and hang out?" I asked.

"We could," David said, then paused for a moment. "I would suggest watching a movie or something, but I don't have too many out of storage right now, and the ones I do have, you might not like."

"Are they all action packed, full of car chases, gun pointing, and explosions?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, pretty much" David sighed.

"Then you're right, I definitely would not like them. Now, if you randomly had a Julia Roberts movie thrown in the mix, I would be all for that" I giggled, and David rolled his eyes jokingly and sighed.

"You girls and your chick flicks" David teased, shuddering at the words.

"Alright, fine" I said, smirking. "What do you suggest?"

"Do you like card games?" he asked.

"Yeah, I actually do" I said, smiling. "We could do that." David agreed, and we began the drive back to his apartment. He lived on the third floor of his building, so when we arrived he apologized for us having to climb the stairs when we were still uncomfortably full.

"It's alright" I assured him, smiling."I don't mind."

"I could carry you, if you want" David said sweetly.

"No, that's fine. I can walk" I said, looking down at the ground, then back up at David.

"If you're sure…" he replied with a soft smile.

"I am" I said, nodding and smiling back at him. He reached over and laced his fingers through mine, sending a shiver through my entire body.

"Are you okay?" David asked, as he stopped and turned to look at me.

"Yeah" I replied. "I just got a shiver, that's all."

"Oh, are you cold?"

"Only a little" I said, then began to blush. "Your touch is just electric!" I finished, blushing even harder.

"I don't think so" David teased as we began to walk towards his apartment building.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, my whole life, I've been able to be submerged in water, and if I were electric, well, you know…" he teased. I smiled and shook my head.

"You're such a dork" I sighed. "I still say you're electric. You are to me, anyway." David's whole face turned red when I said this.

"Aww, stop, Kallie. You're embarrassing me" David groaned, blushing even more, which I hadn't thought was possible. We continued to walk to the building, which took a few minutes, as we were parked almost at the far edge of the parking lot. When we finally reached the building, David pulled the door open for me, waited for me to walk in, and followed me inside, letting the door swing shut on its own. We made our way up the stairs, and after a couple minutes we arrived at David's apartment.

"Before we go in, you should know that I'm not the most organized person in the world, so it's a little messy" David warned.

"I don't mind" I shrugged. "I can slack a little bit too." David sucked in a nervous breath before opening the door, and I nearly lost mine when I saw what was before us. There were clothes, papers and other miscellaneous items strewn everywhere. David's apartment somewhat reminded me of a war zone, maybe an explosion site.

"Oh, no…" I murmured, attempting to pick my jaw up off the floor. David smiled sheepishly and sighed.

"I told you it was messy."

"I didn't know it would be this bad" I teased. "It's okay, don't worry. Do you want me to help you clean up?"

"You don't have to" David replied, shrugging. "But I wouldn't mind the help. Everything's more fun with you anyway" he said, smiling softly.

"Why don't we do that? We at least need to find your floor, and maybe your couch too" I said with a giggle.

"Alright" David agreed. "Just let me take care of the clothes. I can tell better what's clean and what's not" David said. I nodded, wondering how he would be able to tell, but I had faith in him.

After a good chunk of time had passed, maybe forty minutes, we had successfully gotten everything organized. David motioned for me to sit on the couch, and he turned to walk into the kitchen.

"Do you want a drink or anything?" David called.

"No thanks, I'm still too full" I called back. David returned a moment later with a glass of ice water and sat next to me. Neither of us spoke for the next few moments, and the apartment had grown so quiet I could hear our heartbeats thumping in sync. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a grand piano.

"That's a beautiful piano…" I said as I turned to get a better look at it. I then turned to look at David, who was smiling shyly. "Do you play?"

"I used to when I was younger. I was actually pretty good, but then one day I just stopped. I bought this one so maybe I would be inspired to play again, but I haven't been so far" he explained, his voice growing quieter as he spoke.

"Do you think you might start again?" I wondered.

"Yeah, I might, now that I have you" David said softly and sweetly. I could feel color rushing to my cheeks, and a smile crept across my face as David reached over and gently stroked my cheek with his hand.

"Do you really think so?" I asked somewhat shakily.

"I could see it happening" David said with a nod. "You inspire me, Kallie. You have no idea how much my life has changed because of you." I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, so I brushed them away and leaned over to rest my head on David's shoulder.

"Tell me" I whispered.

"Well, ever since the first moment I saw you, nothing has ever been the same. Everything I thought I knew, I didn't know, and now I'm living a different life, and I get to do everything I've ever wanted to do, all because of you. When your family and I thought you might never achieve your dreams, I decided to go after mine, not for myself, but for you." I listened intently as David spoke, keeping my eyes fixed on him the entire time.

"Wow" I whispered.

"Yeah, and that's not all. Before I met you, I was stuck at a job I thought I loved, doing what I thought I was meant to do, and that all changed too. You changed me, Kallie, and I…" he then stopped speaking and glanced down at the floor. I didn't question the pause, and I wasn't going to make him tell me what he was thinking. I knew when he was ready, he would tell me. He let out a slow, calming breath before looking back up at me. I didn't know what else to do besides flash him a comforting smile, causing him to let out a deep sigh.

"So, you ready to play cards?" I asked, causing the atmosphere in the room to shift from tense and nervous to playful and relaxing.

"I sure am. Let me find my deck, I'll be right back." David stood up and walked over to the hall closet, returning a moment later with a deck of cards. He pulled the cards out of the box and flipped through them, checking to make sure they were all there. He shuffled them, then slid the deck over to me, grinning.

"Name the game."

"Texas Hold 'Em" I answered.

"Oh, well alright then. Do you want to play with chips, or no?" David asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It might be easier to keep track that way" I stated. David disappeared for a brief moment to find his poker chips, then returned to deal them out. I dealt the cards, and before we began the game, I had an idea.

"Let's add a little twist to the game" I said slyly. David shifted nervously in his seat, making me giggle.

"You don't mean…"

"No, not THAT." I teased. "What kind of girl do you think I am? Here's what I was thinking. For every hand we lose, we have to tell a secret about ourselves that no one knows."

"I like that" David replied, grinning mischievously.

"Well, you'd better start thinking up some secrets, because you're going down" I said confidently.

"We'll see" David challenged. Then, the game began. In the first round, I had a King and a Joker in my hand, and was pleased to find that there were an additional three Kings on the table, giving me five of a kind. David was dealt a ten and a two, and was unable to make a useable hand from any of the cards. I had won, which meant David now had to tell me a secret.

"Alright, let me think" he sighed. "One thing I haven't told you is…" he paused, looking straight at me, and his eyes darkened with an intensity that was almost frightening.

"Go on" I said, my voice shaking. David's next words left me stunned.

"I'm in love with you."


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

It seemed, in that moment, that time had stopped completely. I could feel my senses going hazy,and my breath seemed to freeze in my chest. After what felt like hours, I released a shaky breath and looked at David, my eyes wide.

"W-What did you say?"

"I…I think I'm falling in love with you" David said again, slower this time so I could be sure I heard right. My heartbeat began to quicken once more as I attempted to process this. David, the most perfect thing to ever happen to my life, loved me. Me. I reached over shakily and placed my hand on top of his, smiling sweetly.

"David, I…I don't know what to say" I said quietly.

"Is that a good thing?" he asked, laughing nervously.

"I think it might be" I said with a slight nod. A small smile appeared on David's lips, and slowly began to grow larger.

"How will you be sure if it's definitely a good thing?"

"I'm not sure, you tell me" I said in a voice that was nearly a whisper. Without saying another word, David leaned in closely to me, his warm breath tickling my neck. I shivered at the sensation as I turned my head to look him in the eyes. David reached over and brushed my hair away from my face, and his face was now inches from my own. I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath, trying so hard to calm my rapidly beating heart. I was afraid if it beat any faster, it would explode.

In the next moment, I was overcome with a rush of emotions. David had kissed me before, but never with this kind of intensity. A hot tear trickled down my cheek as we broke away from the kiss, making David panic for a moment. I smiled, letting him know I was alright, and the worry left his face.

"Are you sure now?" David half whispered.

"Yes, I am" I said with a nod. "You really are something else" I chuckled, placing a hand on my heart.

"Are you going to be okay?" David asked.

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for my heart to slow down" I said, grinning.

"I didn't realize the kiss was going to have this kind of effect on you" David sighed.

"They always do" I said softly, making David's cheeks turn as red as the couch we were sitting on.

"Aw, shucks" David replied, grinning cheesily. We both busted out laughing, and after a moment, David's face grew serious and intense once more.

"I want you to know I meant what I said, Kallie. If you aren't ready to say it back now, I understand. I just had to tell you, because I couldn't hold it in any longer." I listened, giving him an understanding nod. I knew that it wouldn't be much longer before I said those words to him too. In fact, I was sure I could tell him I loved him right now, but I decided to wait. There were enough emotions in this room right now to fill an entire season of Dr. Phil, and any more might make it seem nearly claustrophobic. I leaned back into the couch and sighed happily.

"Thank you, David. I've been waiting so long to hear those words from someone, and I'm glad they came from you."

"Really?" David asked in amazement. "Are you sure you wouldn't have rather heard that from Brad Pitt's clone?" I rolled my eyes and grimaced, making David laugh. "What?"

"I've never been into those guys" I explained. "I figured it out after I tried dating a few of them in high school. They were always after one thing, and I would never give it to them. I used to wonder if I did the right thing…" Before I could continue speaking, David slightly raised his hand to stop me.

"You did, Kallie. Any man who only wants you for, you know, _that_, isn't worth it. You're a beautiful woman, not a worthless toy, and you deserve to be treated with respect." I smiled as David spoke, and I knew I could believe every word he said.

"You're right" I sighed. "I guess I've just always held on to that guilt, you know?"

"You don't need to. I will never ask you to do anything you don't want to do, Kallie. Just remember that, okay?"

"Okay" I said, nodding. I scooted closer to David, nestling my head into his shoulder. I noticed that his cologne had started to wear off, leaving his natural scent behind.

"You smell good" I mumbled.

"Really?" David asked, leaning over to sniff his shirt. "I don't think so" he chuckled.

"Well, I do" I stated. "I've always loved the way you smell. It's very comforting to me. I'm going to miss that when I leave…" I said sadly.

"You may not have to" David said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning to look up at him.

"You'll see. It's a surprise." I settled back into my original position, silently wondering what he had planned. It seemed we had forgotten all about our little card game, and reminding myself about it made my heart race a little. I would never forget that moment as long as I lived, and I knew I wouldn't have to. I had no doubt in my mind that David and I would last forever, no matter what obstacles came our way.

We sat engulfed in silence for a while longer, the only noticeable sounds being our breathing, and the clock on the wall ticking. I suddenly felt something else, but it was no emotion. I reluctantly wrestled myself out of David's arms, sighing.

"Aww, you left me" he said, jokingly making a pouty face.

"Sorry," I chuckled. "Where's your bathroom?"

"It's at the end of the hall."

"Okay, thanks" I said as I got up. I walked down the short hall and into the bathroom. I reached over to flip the light on, and seconds later, I let out a panicked squeal.

"Kallie? What is it?" David called as he ran to the bathroom.

"There's a spider" I said, shuddering as I pointed to the floor. Without hesitation, David walked over and stomped the spider into the tile floor. He wiped up the guts with a little bit of toilet paper and tossed it in the trash, then turned to smile at me.

"Is that better?" he teased.

"Much" I said, relieved. "I hate spiders."

"So do I" David agreed. "But, when it comes to keeping you safe and happy, not even a stupid little spider can stop me."

"Aww, you're too sweet" I said, giggling. "I'll be right back." David nodded and turned to go back to the living room, and I did what I needed to do.

When I walked back into the living room, David was sitting on the couch, and there were two glasses of sweet tea on the table.

"I thought you might be thirsty" he explained, smiling softly. I took my place next to him and reached out to pick up my glass from the table, taking a small sip.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." I smiled and continued to sip my tea, wondering for the millionth time tonight how I had gotten so lucky. Within a few minutes, my glass was empty. I started to get up to go to the kitchen for a refill, but David stopped me.

"No, you sit. I'll get you some more" he insisted, swiping my glass and disappearing into the kitchen before I could protest. "Do you want ice at all?" he asked.

"No thanks" I called back. He came back into the living room a moment later and handed my glass to me. He sat down and set his glass on the table, then turned to look at me. I paused for a moment, wondering if he was going to speak, but he never did. "What are you thinking about?" I asked, tilting my head.

"I'm just thinking about how lucky I am. Any other guy in the world could have you in his apartment, sitting on his couch, drinking his sweet tea, but they don't." He said, a grin spreading across his face. I felt as if all my body heat had deposited itself in my face at that moment. It seemed that David was the only person who knew how to make me feel truly beautiful. I nestled my head back into the crook of his neck, and immersed myself in the sound of his breath. He carefully leaned over to place his glass on the table, then proceeded to slip his arm around me, enveloping me in his warmth.

"I'm so happy" I murmured.

"Me too" David agreed, kissing my head softly. I wanted to stay like this forever. Being there with David, I had lost all sense of time. I carefully repositioned myself to glance at the clock, gasping in disbelief. Three hours had passed since we had arrived there, but it seemed like so much longer.

"It's late" I mumbled, half whining. "I don't want to go…"

"Then don't" David said, snuggling closer to me.

"I have to" I said with a laugh. "As much as my mom loves you, she would kill me if I stayed here."

"I won't let her" David mumbled, pulling me even closer. "I'll explain that it was my idea, and let her kill me instead."

"How valiant of you" I teased. "But I can't let you do that. If she kills you, then I won't have you anymore."

"You're right" David sighed, forcing himself to untangle from me. "I guess I'll take you home" he said sadly.

"At least it's not goodbye forever" I assured him.

"Yeah" he agreed. "It's only temporary" he said with a wink. I took great comfort in knowing that someday, we would never have to face another "temporary goodbye".


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

As David and I were about to leave the apartment, my phone rang. I wrestled it out of my pocked and glanced at the screen.

"It's my mom" I said with a sigh. "She's probably wondering where I am." I pushed the call button and pressed the phone to my ear. "Hi!" I greeted her.

"Hi honey. Where are you?"

"Oh, after dinner, David and I came back to his apartment to hang out. He was just about to bring me home."

"Well," my mom began. "You might want to rethink that. Have you looked outside?"

"No, why?"

"You might want to do that" she said. I walked over to the window and peeked through the blinds, suddenly being faced with a wall of snow. It looked as though we had been transported to the Arctic,

"Oh, wow" I murmured. "Do you want me to just stay here, then?" I asked.

"I would feel better if you did. I would prefer if David didn't drive in this. Now, both of you stay warm, and call me in the morning, okay?"

"Alright, mom" I said, nodding, although I knew she couldn't see me. "Good night. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie." She hung up, and I waited until the call had officially ended before I did the same. I never liked to hang up first. It always made me feel like I might have accidentally cut the other person off.

"What's going on?" David asked curiously. I walked over to the blinds and pulled them up all the way, revealing the wintery whiteout. David's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"My mom doesn't want you driving in this" I explained. "So, she insisted that I stay here for the night." A smile so wide appeared on David's face, that I was sure it would rip if he smiled any more.

"That sounds like a good idea" he agreed. "I'll get you some sweats and a t-shirt to change into" he said as he walked down the hall to his room. He came back a moment later with a neatly folded pair of blue sweatpants, and a white t-shirt.

"You actually have clothes that are clean?" I teased.

"Shut up" David replied, sticking his tongue out slightly as he tossed the clothes at me.

"I'll go change" I stated, walking towards the bathroom. I reached out to playfully ruffle David's hair as I walked by him, smiling flirtatiously. He turned to watch me as I walked, letting out a content sigh. I walked into the bathroom, shut the door, and checked for more spiders before I undressed. As I brought the shirt near my face, I noticed something. The t-shirt he had lent me had the same subtle scent as his cologne. I held it close to me for a moment, then slipped the shirt over my head, poking my arms through the sleeves. It was a little big on me, but I didn't care. I slipped the sweats on, pulling the drawstrings as tight as I could manage. I found they fit decently well.

When I returned to the living room, I found that David had changed as well, and was putting a pillow and a couple blankets on the couch.

"Aw, you're getting my bed ready" I said with a grin. He turned and smiled softly at me, shaking his head.

"No," he corrected me. "I'm getting _my_ bed ready. You," he paused as he walked over to take my hand and lead me to his bedroom, "Are sleeping in here. I can't put you on the couch. It would be rude."

"I wouldn't have minded" I said with a shrug.

"I would have" David stated. "That couch isn't comfortable to sleep on. Don't worry, my sheets are clean" He teased, chuckling.

"That's not what I was worried about" I said softly. "But now, I'm worried you're going to wake up tomorrow feeling like you were caught in an elephant stampede or something."

"Better me than you, sweetie" David said. He was so thoughtful, always putting myself and others before his own needs, no matter what the consequences were. I was beginning to realize more and more that I did love him. I decided not to protest any further, walking into his bedroom and climbing into the soft, warm sheets. I settled in, and David came over to sit next to me. He leaned over and planted a soft kiss on my lips, then nuzzled his cheek against mine.

"Good night" I said softly. "Sleep well."

"Good night, Kallie. Sweet dreams. I love you." David whispered, making my heart flutter. He stood up slowly, walked over to the door and flipped the light off before closing the door gently.

"I love you too" I whispered into the pillow, then rolled over onto my right side and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of birds chirping cheerfully outside. I opened my eyes slowly and saw small beams of sunlight shining into the room from the cracks in the blinds. I rolled over to look at the clock on the bedside table, then sat up sharply. I flung the covers off and stood up slowly. I was about to retreat to the bathroom to grab my clothes from yesterday, when I suddenly noticed them sitting on David's desk chair. They were folded neatly, making me smile. David must have brought them in earlier, but I hadn't heard him come in. I quickly changed, then walked to the door and quietly opened it, in case David had gone back to sleep. I peeked around the corner and found that the couch was empty. I heard rustling that sounded like it was coming from the kitchen, so I casually walked over. I found David there, and he seemed to be looking for something.

"I just saw it the other day" he muttered. I found it cute when he talked to himself like that.

"What are you looking for?" I asked, causing him to jump.

"Oh, Kallie! You scared me" David said with a slight laugh.

"Sorry" I replied, blushing slightly and looking down at the floor. "Do you need help?"

"No" David said as he reached further into the cabinet he had been searching through. "I'm just trying to find the sugar bowl. I know it was just here…" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small silver bowl sitting on the counter.

"Is that it?" David looked up when I asked, and I motioned toward the bowl.

"Yes" David sighed, embarrassed. I smiled, then walked over to him as he stood up. He wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head tenderly.

"How did you sleep?" I asked, wondering if he had been comfortable last night.

"I actually slept pretty decently" David said with a half smile. My neck feels a little sore today, but I'll be alright. Did you sleep well?" I looked up into his gorgeous eyes and nodded, finding myself becoming lost in them. I felt as if I could see into his very soul when I looked deep enough. David spoke again, snapping me out of my semi-trance. "Kallie?"

"What?" I replied, shaking my head. "Sorry, I spaced out a little bit."

"It's okay, I just asked if you slept well." David answered.

"Yeah, I did" I said, nodding. "Your bed is really comfy."

"I know" David said, grinning childishly, "It feels like you're sleeping on a giant marshmallow, doesn't it?" I closed my eyes and shook my head at his silliness, but I loved it. He had such a way with words, I could listen to him talk forever. I especially loved watching his expressions as he talked. His eyes sparkled, especially when he was talking about something he loved. When he talked about something serious, his eyes had this dark, mysterious quality to them. To me, every piece of his personality was perfect. Absolutely perfect. I wouldn't change a thing.

Yeah, it kind of does" I said, giggling. David's mention of marshmallows suddenly gave me a craving for hot chocolate and s'mores. I turned to glance out the window, checking to see if the snow had cleared up. To my surprise, the roads were clear and the sun was shining, making the snow on the trees sparkle. Upon seeing this, I decided to present David with the idea.

"You know what sounds really good right now?"

"Hot chocolate and s'more." David said confidently.

"How did you…" I asked, unable to finish my question.

"You think I don't know you by now?" David teased.

"Oh, I know you do" I sighed. "So, what do you think? Can we go get some?" I asked, batting my eyelashes playfully at him.

"Absolutely" David said. "First, let me grab your coat from the closet. He then turned to walk into the hall, returning mere seconds later with my jacket. He held it open, and I slipped my arms inside the sleeves. David grabbed his own jacket from the closet, and we were about to leave, when I stopped suddenly.

"I have a random question."

"I have an answer" David replied with a wink.

"What did you need the sugar for?" David paused for a moment to think.

"You know," he said, scratching his chin. "I can't remember." We shared a laugh as we walked out of the apartment, and he turned to shut the door and lock it behind us. I could tell that today was going to be an incredible day.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

When David and I walked outside, we noticed that the weather was actually not too bad. The sun was shining, but the wind still had remnants of an icy chill, so we decided to drive. Once we were on the road, I turned to David, a puzzled look on my face.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"It's a surprise" David said, winking at me.

"I should have known. You never tell me anything" I sighed, then pretended to wipe away a tear.

"You'll love it, I promise." David assured me, glancing over to flash me a quick smile before returning his gaze to the road. After several minutes passed, we arrived at what appeared to be a small convenience store. David instructed me to wait in the car a minute, and he got out and ran quickly into the store. There was a glare on the windows from the sun, so I couldn't tell where he had gone or what he was doing. A brief moment later, I could make out his silhouette through the glass. He paid, then walked out, returning to the car. I eyed the bag in his hand, then looked up at him.

"What's in the bag?"

"Like I said, you'll see" David replied with a smirk as he turned to shove the bag in the backseat. After a moment, we were off to our next "super secret" destination. I knew no matter how much I asked, begged, or pouted, he would not give in to me. I knew, however, that one day I would figure out how to crack him.

After a bit more driving, we arrived at the same café we had gone to a few days before. We walked inside to find the same waitress we had last time wiping down a table. She looked up and smiled, greeting us cheerfully.

"Hey, guys! Welcome back! Just take a seat anywhere and I'll be right with you." We nodded and walked over to a booth in the corner, and seconds after we settled in, Ashley was at our table. She smiled at us again, pulling her small notepad out of her apron pocket.

"Do you know what you'd like, or do you need a few minutes?" she asked.

"We will have two caramel hot chocolates, with extra whipped cream." David told her, his classic boyish grin appearing on his face. This time, I wasn't surprised that he knew I preferred my hot chocolates with caramel in them. Ashley wrote that down on her pad and walked away, leaving us to talk amongst ourselves.

"Looks like someone was a little happy to see you" I teased.

"What? No, she's just being nice" David said with a chuckle. "It's her job to be friendly." I knew he was right, but something about the situation didn't sit well with me. I felt like Ashley was being a little more than "just doing her job" nice. For all I knew, though, it could have just been my imagination. I was never the jealous type, but that could change quickly if someone tried to take my David from me, especially a perky, blonde someone.

"I know," I sighed, not entirely sure if I actually believed that I thought it was okay. If I was right, and Ashley did ever make a move on David, she wouldn't know what hit her. Ashley returned a moment later with our hot chocolates, asking if there was anything else she could get for us. We declined, and she walked away. She came back a while later and offered free refills on our drinks, which we gladly accepted.

"So, do you two have any fun plans for the weekend?" she asked casually.

"Well, I'm going to drag Kallie to the Applebees this Saturday and make her do karaoke.

"WHAT?!" I gasped. "Are you freaking kidding me? There's no way I'm ever doing that!" I whined. Ashley laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh, I love karaoke!" she chirped. "Maybe I'll see you there" she said, winking at David as she walked away. I watched her leave, then slumped back in my side of the booth.

"Are you alright?" David asked, seeming worried.

"I think our waitress is hitting on you" I said sadly, causing David to burst out laughing. "How is that funny?" I asked, slight anger appearing in my voice.

"I'm sorry" David said. "It's just, I don't normally have random girls hitting on me, and besides, if anyone did, I know you'd bury them before I had a chance to turn them down." I sat up in my seat and folded my arms, nodding.

"You're darn right I would" I muttered. David laughed again, shaking his head.

"You know you're the only one for me, right? And that nothing and no one can take me away from you. Not even New York" he said softly, reaching across the table to grab my hand. He squeezed it gently, and I smiled at him.

"I know, and you're the only one for me." I assured him.

"I love you, Kallie" he whispered.

"You're amazing" I whispered back. I wanted to say I loved him too, but the time wasn't right yet. I knew in my heart that it was close, though.

Ashley returned a moment later with the check, and David paid right away. As we got up to leave, Ashley called out to us.

"Have a great one, guys. Maybe I'll see you at karaoke!"

"Over my dead body" I muttered under my breath.

"Did you say something?" David asked.

"Not at all" I chirped, smiling at him. He didn't question me any further, so we headed off to our next destination.

"Now you get to find out what's in the bag" David teased. I had completely forgotten all about it, but now I was curious again. We arrived back at David's apartment, and after we walked inside, he headed straight for the kitchen. I followed closely, peering around his tall frame to see what he was doing since I was too short to look over his shoulder. On the counter, I noticed three things: a box of graham crackers, a a few chocolate bars, and a bag of marshmallows.

"S'mores stuff?" I asked. David nodded in response.

"You said you were craving them, so we are going to make them" he said. My eyes lit up, but seconds later my brow furrowed in confusion. "How are we going to make them?" I glanced around, and when I didn't see a fireplace or anything in his apartment I grew more confused,

"I'll show you" David said, turning toward the stove. I turned too, cocking my head to the side. Were we going to use the stove to roast the marshmallows? David answered my silent question by turning on one of the front burners on the gas stove. He then got two forks out the the drawer next to the stove, sticking marshmallows on both and handing me one.

"Good idea" I said.

"I thought you would like it. Be careful near the fire, I don't want you to get hurt" David warned. I nodded, then stuck the marshmallow in the flame. After a moment, it caught fire I pulled it out and David chuckled, leaning over to blow out my marshmallow.

"Hope you like 'em extra crispy" he teased. He roasted his next, and it came out perfectly golden. "See?" he boasted, sticking the marshmallow out towards me. "This is how it's done."

"Well," I began as I proceeded to reach out and swipe David's perfectly roasted marshmallow from his fork. "This is how I do things" I teased, extending my fork out to him.

"I was going to let you have mine anyway." The both of us laughed, and we continued to build our s'mores. Once we were finished, David turned off the burner and opened the window to let some fresh air in, and the gas from the stove out. Afterwards, we retreated to the living room and sat on the couch, setting our plates on the table. David hunched over slightly and clasped his hands, setting them in his lap. He looked over at me, and I could see some emotion in his eyes that I had never seen before. I wasn't sure whether I should be worried or not, so I decided to ask.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just wondering if you're okay. You seemed a little upset when we were out earlier" David explained.

"I was, but not at you. I just felt like Ashley was crossing a line she shouldn't have, and I didn't like that. I don't like feeling like I could lose you…"

"When do you feel like that?" David asked, reaching out to stroke my arm.

"Almost every time we're out, I notice all these other girls checking you out, and they're super pretty. Way prettier than me." Before I could continue, David leaned over and softly kissed me. He pulled away after a few seconds, keeping his face inches from mine as he began to speak.

"You never have to worry, Kallie. Ever. I don't want any other girl but you." he explained, causing my eyes to well up with tears. One began to trickle down my cheek, and David gently wiped it away. "Don't sell yourself short. You are gorgeous, Kallie. I don't understand why you can't see that."

"I'm trying to" I said, sniffling. "I want nothing more than to see myself the way you see me. You don't know what it means to me to hear those words coming from you. I…" I stopped and took a deep breath, and I could feel my heart fluttering in my chest.

"You what, Kallie?" I opened my mouth to speak, allowing another shaky breath to escape my lips.

"I…love you."


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

I could feel my hands shaking as the words fell from my lips. My cheeks grew warm and the room felt like it was spinning a million miles an hour. I wondered if this was how David felt when he told me the very same thing the other night. Once all my senses calmed down, I slowly looked up and was met with David's eyes. Without a word, he leaned in and kissed me softly. My heart fluttered once more, and a content smile made its way onto my lips. Now that he and I were on the same level once again, I would be able to focus on other things. Upon realizing this, I remembered that I still needed to register for my classes at the Fashion Institute. When I thought about it, my heart sank.

"Do you really mean it?" David asked.

"With all my heart" I said, forcing a smile. My mind was so occupied now with what I still needed to do that I just wanted to put it off even more and cry until all the water in my body dried up. I thought that I didn't want to leave David before, but now, I literally felt like I couldn't.

"Is anything wrong?" David asked, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. I didn't want to speak because I was afraid I'd start sobbing hysterically, so I looked away from him and shook my head.

"I couldn't be happier right now" I lied. I could hear my conscience screaming inside my head, "_don't lie to him, you idiot! Tell him how you're feeling!" _but I brushed it off. I would tell him eventually, I just wanted to wait. I tried to distract my mind from the events to come, and for the most part I was successful. There was still a small part of my heart that dwelled on the fact that I would be leaving, and no matter how I tried, I couldn't shake it. Unfortunately, David was no help either.

"I just remembered something. When were you supposed to register for your classes again?"

"By January 10th" I muttered, feeling somewhat disheartened that he had brought it up.

"That's coming up in a few weeks" David stated. "You should do that before it's too late." Upon hearing this, I couldn't hold my emotion in any longer. I buried my face in my hands and began to sob, becoming inconsolable. David immediately wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his lap. He held me close and stroked my hair, never saying a single word. I cried until I was gasping for breath, finally pulling my face away from his shoulder. He looked at me, his eyes filled with worry.

"What was that about?"

"I can't leave you" I said, my voice cracking with emotion. I sniffled, then buried my face back into David's shoulder. He shifted his position, then pulled me up so I had no choice but to look at him.

"Listen to me, Kallie. You can do this. You would have done it if you had never met me, right?" I nodded, sniffling once more.

"Yeah" I said quietly.

"Okay" David continued. "I believe that you can still do it, no matter how scared you are right now. Remember when I told you that nothing could keep us apart?"

"Yes" I said with a nod. I had finally calmed down, but my breath was still ragged.

"I meant it, Kallie. Not even our distance will keep me away from you." he said quietly, kissing my forehead.

"I know. You're right. This is something I have to do."

"That's the Kallie I know and love" David said, smiling. I kissed him softly, then moved from his lap. He stood up and walked across the room to grab the box of tissues. He brought them over to me, and I took one. I wiped the tears from my face, secretly dreading what I may have looked like right now. I though when I cried, I looked like a blowfish. Some people can cry and still look pretty normal, but I was not one of those fortunate few. However, I took comfort in the fact that I had a boyfriend who would love me no matter what undersea creature I resembled. I chuckled to myself, glad that my odd sense of humor had returned.

"Well," I began, taking a calming breath. "I guess we should go back to my house so I can register for classes before I freak out and decide not to go" I said, giggling.

"We can do that" David agreed. "By the way, I just realized Christmas is in a week. Do you have any ideas for things you want?" I thought for a moment, then replied.

"You know, this might sound cheesy, but all I want for Christmas is you." David blushed, then a playful glint appeared in his eye.

"I think I can work something out" he said, making me laugh.

"I'm sure you can" I chuckled. "What do you want?"

"You don't have to get me anything" David said. "I have everything I need right here" he continued, pulling me close. I closed my eyes and leaned my head on his shoulder, letting out a content sigh. The last thing I wanted was for this moment to end, but I knew I had to leave soon to go home and sign up for my classes, or I would never do it.

"Well," I sighed, breaking away from the hug slightly and looking up at David, "We should get going so I can go home and sign up for my classes. You don't have to leave though. You can stay with me" I said, making his eyes twinkle.

"You know, I planned on staying while you did that whether you wanted me to or not" David smirked. I shook my head, then walked over to the chair in the corner of the living room to grab my purse. David retrieved my jacket from the hall closet, then walked over to drape it over my shoulders. He put his own jacket as well and put it on, then grabbed his keys off the hook by the door. He opened the door for me, and I stepped out into the hall. David followed behind me, shutting and locking the door behind him. He grabbed my hand as we walked down the hall to the staircase, stroking my thumb gently with his own. I tingled at his touch, smiling softly to myself.

We were silent as we walked out to the car, and most of the way back to my family's house. Luckily, it wasn't a bad silence. It was more comforting. It made me happy to know that David was someone I could be with, and we didn't always have to be talking. We could simply just _be._ on the ride home, I thought about a lot of things. Mostly, I daydreamed about where David and I might be five years from now;

We were living in a small condo in the city. I had graduated from college, and was running a freelance clothing business from home. There was a small calico kitten curled up on the table next to me, watching as I worked on my next project. A little girl, maybe three years old or so, runs into the room energetically, her soft brown hair put up in pigtails.

"Mommy, when is daddy going to be home?" the girl whined.

"In a couple of hours" I said calmly, never taking my eyes off my work. "Go to your room and play, and he'll be home before you know it."

"Okay!" the girl chirped, running down the hall to her bedroom and shutting the door. I smiled to myself as I continued sketching. After a while, I heard a noise coming from downstairs. I walked down the hall and poked my head around the corner, being greeted by David's smiling face.

"Chloe, daddy's home!" I called as I ran down the stairs to greet him. He wrapped me in his arms, kissing the top of my head.

"How was your day?" he asked, gazing down into my eyes.

"It was amazing" I murmured.

Suddenly, I was jarred from my fantasy by David's voice.

"Kallie? Did you hear me?"

"What?"

"I said we're here" David said, smiling with the same boyish grin he always did.

"Oh, sorry" I said, laughing softly. "I must have spaced out."

"That's okay" David said. He climbed out of the car, then walked over to the passenger side to let me out. We walked up to the door, and I reached out to turn the handle to see if it would open. It did, so the two of us walked inside.

"Mom, Sarah, I'm home!" I called. Sarah instantly appeared, as if from thin air, grinning from ear to ear.

"Mom and I were just wondering when you were coming home! Did you guys have fun?"

"Yeah, we did" I said with a nod.

"I'm glad! Want to come sit down?" Sarah replied, grabbing our hands to lead us to the living room.

"We will in a little bit. I need the computer first" I said, smiling at my sister. I loved how happy she was all the time. It made the world a better place to be, and I felt like we needed more people like her in it. David and I walked to the study, where we kept the computer. I offered David the comfortable leather desk chair, and I insistently kneeled on the floor.

"You're going to kill your knees doing that" David said, concerned.

"I don't care" I shrugged. "Sit down" I ordered. David obliged, then moved the chair closer to me. He then leaned down and grabbed me by the sides, and proceeded to pull me off the floor and into his lap. I giggled, blushing slightly.

"Isn't that better?" David asked. I nodded, then proceeded to log into the website I needed to register for my classes. It was mandatory for all first year students to take the basic courses, which I wasn't happy about, but I gritted my teeth and picked my classes with a smile. I settled on College Algebra, American History, and Creative Writing. I would put off the science course until next year. As long as I got everything done, I figured it wouldn't matter when I did it. For my final class, I decided to pick something more fun, so I chose a course on sewing for beginners. I figured I would have to learn it eventually. Once I was done, I breathed a sigh of relief. That part was over, so all I had to do now was prepare myself to leave.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

The next days flew by almost as quickly as they had come, and before we knew it, it was Christmas Eve. David's family was back home in Missouri, and instead of traveling out to be with them, he opted to stay in Tulsa and spend the holiday with us. I tried to feel bad about keeping him from his family, but David refused to let me.

"I don't have much more time to spend with you before you leave" he explained. Knowing that, I felt much better about him coming. Besides, Christmas without David would have seemed like just another day, anyway. With him, it felt more special.

"So, what time are you coming over?" I asked, repositioning and switching my phone to the other ear.

"I'll be over in a couple hours. I have to pick up your gift."

"Okay" I said, a smile making its way onto my face. "Call me when you're on your way!" I added.

"I will" David replied. I could almost hear his lips curl into a smile. "I love you Kallie. See you in a little while."

"I love you too" I responded, waiting for his end of the call to go silent before I hung up. From that moment, I could have sworn that time had stopped altogether. The seconds felt like hours, making the minutes feel like days. After a while, my phone rang. I rolled over and picked it up off my bedside table. When I saw that it was David calling, my heart seemed to fall into my stomach.

"Hello, you" I said flirtatiously.

"Hey! Listen, I forgot to call when I was on my way, so I'm sorry about that. I'm actually standing in your driveway right now" he said with a chuckle.

"You can knock, you know" I teased. "I'll be right down!" I said excitedly, hopping to the floor and rushing down the stairs. I hurried to the door and opened it, smiling when I saw David there. He was carrying a giant package under one arm, and a small gift basket in the other. I stepped out of the way to let him inside, closing the door behind us. He leaned over and kissed me tenderly, his eyes twinkling.

"I missed you" he said quietly.

"I missed you too" I replied, wrapping my arms around his waist. After several minutes, I let go, and we walked into the family room. Our house was decorated for the holidays, but not as extravagantly as others. We had soft colored lights hanging in the windows, sparkling garlands draped over the archways, and various holiday themed figurines set about the house. Our tree stood in the corner, wrapped in lights and spotted with ornaments. It was artificial, nothing fancy. David walked over to the tree and placed the gifts underneath it.

"I hope you didn't spend too much" I said with a sigh.

"Don't worry" David said with a chuckle.

"Every time you say that, it makes me worry more" I giggled.

"Seriously, Kallie, it's okay. The basket is for your mom and Sarah, and the big one is for you. It's nothing too elaborate, I promise."

"Okay," I said, giving in to his persistence. We took a seat on the couch, and I suddenly had a thought.

"Do you remember when you joked about dragging me to karaoke?"

"Yeah, I do now. I forgot all about that!" I groaned, and suddenly regretted saying anything about it at all. "What made you think of it suddenly?"

"We never went" I giggled. "I wonder if Ashley ever showed up looking for you" I said,a somewhat scheming tone to my voice.

"I have to be honest" David said. "I never actually forgot about taking you. I just figured you wouldn't want to take a chance of her showing up there." I smiled softly, and I was glad to know I had someone who was that willing to protect me, and our relationship.

"Well," I began. "I thought about it, and maybe we should go. We can do it before I leave, we just won't tell Ashley" I continued, winking mischievously.

"Sounds like a plan" David agreed. I was beginning to wonder where mom and Sarah were, when they both walked into the room.

"I didn't know you guys were here!" My mom exclaimed as she ran over to hug us. We both stood to embrace her, laughing.

"We haven't been here long. Where were you guys?" I asked.

"We were upstairs finishing some last minute gift wrapping" Sarah chimed in, hugging us tightly.

"Oh, this isn't last minute" David teased. "Last minute would be tomorrow morning." We all laughed, and I shook my head. My boyfriend was such a nerd, but he was my nerd.

"Very true" my mom agreed, nodding her head.

"So," I began, turning towards her. "What are we doing for dinner?" Ever since my dad died, we hadn't really stuck to the traditional Christmas dinner at all. Sometimes we did soup and sandwiches, and other times we came up with something completely random.

"I couldn't think of anything to cook" mom answered apologetically, "So we're just going to order Chinese takeout." she said with a giggle. This was completely new to me, but I liked it!

"There are Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Eve?" David asked me, baffled. I shrugged in response.

"We've never done that before" I giggled. We all perused the menu, and agreed on: fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and beef with vegetables. The chicken was my favorite because they packed the sauce separately, and I liked to dip my chicken into it rather than smother it. Mom called to place the order, and was told it would be here in about twenty minutes. While waiting, we agreed that we should watch some classic Christmas movies while we ate. We decided on "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman". Sarah found them in a storage tote downstairs and brought them up, and our dinner arrived moments later. David and I carried the boxes into the kitchen and set them on the counter.

"Should I get out the paper plates?" Sarah asked.

"No," mom answered. "Since it's a special occasion, we can use the fancy china." she explained with a smile.

"Okay!" Sarah chirped as she pulled four plates from the cabinet in the corner. We almost never used these plates. My parents had gotten them as a wedding gift from my grandma, and they had actually belonged to her before. The edges were scalloped, kind of like a clam shell, and there were bright red roses printed in the center. I loved them so much, and hoped that when I got married one day, they would be passed down to me.

After we had all gotten our food, we headed into the living room to start the first movie. Before it began, my mom stood up and started to walk out of the room.

"is anyone else cold?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm fine" David said with a smile, slipping his arm around my shoulders. "Are you warm, Kallie?" he asked, looking down at me.

"I'm okay too" I murmured, snuggling closer to David.

"Alright, well I'm going to grab a banket for me and Sarah, so I'll be right back." Mom left the room, coming back moments later with not one, but two blankets. She set one of them on the floor next to where David and I were sitting. "I brought you guys one in case you changed your minds."

"Thanks mom" I said sweetly. We started the movie, and I found myself focusing more on David's warmth than the adventures of Rudolph and the other reindeer. I closed my eyes for what I thought was a brief moment, but when I opened them again, the end credits were rolling.

"I missed the movie?" I asked.

"Yeah, you dozed off in the first few minutes" David said with a laugh. I blushed slightly, gazing at the floor.

"Well," I began, returning my gaze toward David. "You would have fallen asleep too if you were snuggled against…yourself." I giggled, realizing how funny that sounded.

"Well, should we open gifts before we start the second movie?" Mom asked. David and I nodded, and Sarah chimed in with an excited "Yes!" Mom laughed, and walked over to the tree. She pulled a box out from underneath it and handed it to David. He took it reluctantly, smiling shyly.

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"We know. Just open it" Mom said with a smile. David did, and inside the box he found a few collectors editions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. He grinned, possibly wider than I had ever seen before, and looked over at Sarah and Mom.

"I've been looking everywhere for these! Thank you guys so much" he said with a humbled smile.

"You're very welcome. Kallie mentioned to us that you liked them, so we thought that would be perfect." Mom explained.

"They are" David said, blushing. "Thank you again!" He then pointed to the basket under the tree, letting Mom know that it was for her and Sarah. Inside it, there were various chocolates, a birthstone necklace for Mom, and a charm bracelet for Sarah, that appeared to already have a charm on it. It was a small heart that had the word "sister" engraved into it.

"This is beautiful" Sarah murmured. "Thank you!" she then squealed as she ran over to hug David tightly.

"You're welcome" he said softly, holding her tight. It made me happy to see that they were so close.

"How sweet" I said, kissing David lightly on the cheek. "Open my gift to you next" I ordered playfully.

"Okay" David said as he reached under the tree and retrieved my gift. He opened it, revealing a small photo album filled with pictures of us from our various adventures. I knew taking all those pictures on my phone would pay off someday. A tear glinted in David's eye as he flipped through the album, and he looked over at me.

"This is beautiful" he whispered. "Thank you."

"You're welcome" I whispered back. He hugged me, kissing my cheek lightly. After breaking his hold, he reached over and pulled my gift out, handing it to me. I opened it carefully, and what I found beneath the paper surprised me. David had bought a body pillow, and had a full sized picture of himself transferred onto it.

"This is so I'll always be with you, even when we're far apart." he explained. "There's something inside it too." Puzzled, I reached inside the pillowcase and felt something small and hard. I pulled it out, to find out that David had given me his bottle of cologne. "And," he explained, "This is so everything can smell like me." he teased. This was, by far, the most thoughtful gift anyone had ever given me.

"I love it" I said with a chuckle. "Thank you." We embraced, and I held onto him as if the world might explode, just like I always did, and just like I always would do.


End file.
